DGT Vehicle Report Scam: Charging €24 for an €8 Service
A sponsored website charges €24 for a DGT report that costs €8. The scheme uses Carmen Mariscal's name as the applicant.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The Fake DGT Report Scam: You Pay €24 for What Costs €8, Using a Stranger's Name
It starts with a sponsored Google ad. The Ministry of Interior logo, a name sounding like an official procedure, and a reasonable price: €8 for your vehicle report. But upon payment, the actual charge is €24. The page isn't from the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico), but a third-party copy using the public agency's image to overcharge.
The Trick: A Report That Should Be Cheaper
The DGT offers a free basic report and a complete one for €8.08 on its official site (sede.dgt.gob.es). However, sites like “informesdgt.com” appear first in sponsored results. If you click, you pay €24 for the same PDF you'd get for €8. There's another striking detail: the report lists "Carmen Mariscal" as the applicant. According to a victim's account, this person bought the report without fees—essentially for free—while the user paid triple. Who is she? No one knows, but her name appears on documents generated by the scam.
The mechanism is simple: the buyer enters their data, the website processes the report using an account with discounts or free access, and pockets the difference. If the affected party disputes the charge with their bank, the merchant doesn't respond, and the money is refunded, but the PDF is already in your inbox. The business model relies on many people not disputing it or not noticing.
Should Vehicle Reports Be Free?
In the United States, checking a car's history is free in several states. In Spain, the DGT charges a fee for the complete report, but basic information (liens, ITV status) could be publicly accessible. Meanwhile, parasitic websites will continue exploiting the system's lack of transparency. Recommendation: type the DGT's electronic office address directly into your browser and don't click ads. Or better yet, demand these data be public and free.
It starts with a sponsored Google ad. The Ministry of Interior logo, a name sounding like an official procedure, and a reasonable price: €8 for your vehicle report. But upon payment, the actual charge is €24. The page isn't from the DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico), but a third-party copy using the public agency's image to overcharge.
The Trick: A Report That Should Be Cheaper
The DGT offers a free basic report and a complete one for €8.08 on its official site (sede.dgt.gob.es). However, sites like “informesdgt.com” appear first in sponsored results. If you click, you pay €24 for the same PDF you'd get for €8. There's another striking detail: the report lists "Carmen Mariscal" as the applicant. According to a victim's account, this person bought the report without fees—essentially for free—while the user paid triple. Who is she? No one knows, but her name appears on documents generated by the scam.
The mechanism is simple: the buyer enters their data, the website processes the report using an account with discounts or free access, and pockets the difference. If the affected party disputes the charge with their bank, the merchant doesn't respond, and the money is refunded, but the PDF is already in your inbox. The business model relies on many people not disputing it or not noticing.
Should Vehicle Reports Be Free?
In the United States, checking a car's history is free in several states. In Spain, the DGT charges a fee for the complete report, but basic information (liens, ITV status) could be publicly accessible. Meanwhile, parasitic websites will continue exploiting the system's lack of transparency. Recommendation: type the DGT's electronic office address directly into your browser and don't click ads. Or better yet, demand these data be public and free.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (16 replies).
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